Video game competition notifications

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for automatically sending a popup or other message to another person's electronic device upon finishing a predetermined goal in a video game. The predetermined goal can be, for example, killing a first boss in under five minutes. The message to the friend can include a link or button enabled such that the friend can begin the game on his device in the same room, mission, scenario, etc. that the first player started out in so that the friend can attempt to duplicate or ‘one up’ the first player's achievement. Friends who are interested in receiving such messages can be determined from existing social networking sites.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method of challenging another person to a video game, the method comprising:
 receiving by a server, a custom goal for the video game, the custom goal specified by a first person; 
 receiving by the server an indicator that a second person playing an instance of the video game has met or exceeded the custom goal in the video game; 
 preparing a message indicating that the second person has met or exceeded the custom goal; 
 sending the message to an electronic device associated with a third person with a selectable element enabled to begin a second instance of the video game for the third person at a specified point of the video game associated with the custom goal; 
 retrieving from an electronic device associated with the second person, a game state condition of the first instance of the video game; and 
 beginning the second instance of the video game using the retrieved game state condition on the device associated with the third person in response to a selection of the selectable element. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the third person registers to the server the electronic device associated with the third person to receive one or more messages. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2  wherein the registration specifies a method of receiving the one or more messages on the electronic device associated with the third person. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2  wherein the registration specifies a number of video game titles. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein the selectable element is selectable by a spoken approval from the third person. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  wherein the custom goal is based on game playing ability. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving by the server an indication indicating that a fourth person wishes to subscribe to receive one or more messages from the server and receiving by the server a subsequent indication indicating that the fourth person wishes to unsubscribe from receiving one or more messages from the server. 
     
     
       8. A system for challenging another person to a video game, comprising:
 at least one processor of a server; and 
 memory of the server including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to: 
 receive by the server, a custom goal for the video game, the custom goal specified by a first person; 
 receive by the server an indicator that a second person playing an instance of the video game has met or exceeded the custom goal in the video game; 
 prepare a message indicating that the second person has met or exceeded the custom goal; 
 send the message to an electronic device associated with a third person with a selectable element enabled to begin a second instance of the video game for the third person at a specified point of the video game associated with the custom goal; 
 retrieve from an electronic device associated with the second person, a game state condition of the first instance of the video game; and 
 begin the second instance of the video game using the retrieved game state condition on the device associated with the third person in response to a selection of the selectable element. 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8  wherein the instructions further cause the system to allow the third person to register to the server the electronic device associated with the third person to receive one or more messages. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9  wherein the instructions further cause the system to allow the third person to specify a method of receiving the one or more messages on the electronic device associated with the third person. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 9  wherein the instructions further cause the system to allow the third person to specify a number of video game titles. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 8  wherein the selectable element is selectable by a spoken approval from the third person. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 8  wherein the custom goal is based on game playing ability. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 8  further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
 receive by the server an indication indicating that a fourth person wishes to subscribe to receive one or more messages from the server and receive by the server a subsequent indication indicating that the fourth person wishes to unsubscribe from receiving one or more messages from the server. 
 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory machine-readable storable medium embodying information indicative of instructions for causing one or more processors of a server to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 receiving by the server, a custom goal for the video game, the custom goal specified by a first person; 
 receiving by the server an indicator that a second person playing an instance of the video game has met or exceeded the custom goal in the video game; 
 preparing a message indicating that the second person has met or exceeded the custom goal; 
 sending the message to an electronic device associated with a third person with a selectable element enabled to begin a second instance of the video game for the third person at a specified point of the video game associated with the custom goal; 
 retrieving from an electronic device associated with the second person, a game state condition of the first instance of the video game; and 
 beginning the second instance of the video game using the retrieved game state condition on the device associated with the third person in response to a selection of the selectable element. 
 
     
     
       16. The machine-readable storable medium of  claim 15  wherein the operations further allow the third person to register to the server the electronic device associated with the third person to receive one or more messages. 
     
     
       17. The machine-readable storable medium of  claim 16  wherein the operations further allow the third person to specify a method of receiving the one or more messages on the electronic device associated with the third person. 
     
     
       18. The machine-readable storable medium of  claim 16  wherein the operations further allow the third person to specify a number of video game titles. 
     
     
       19. The machine-readable storable medium of  claim 15  wherein the selectable element is selectable by a spoken approval from the third person. 
     
     
       20. The machine-readable storable medium of  claim 15  further comprising instructions for causing the one or more processors of a server to perform operations of:
 receiving by the server a first indication indicating that a fourth person wishes to subscribe to receive one or more messages from the server and receiving by the server a subsequent indication indicating that the fourth person wishes to unsubscribe from receiving one or more messages from the server.